R.I.P Beastie Boys’ Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch

Beastie Boys’ Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch has died today (4th May) at the age of 47.

A member of one of the most important hip-hop groups of their, or any other, generation; Yauch revealed he had a cancerous tumour in his left parotid gland in July 2009, and stayed away from the limelight during the release of the band’s most recent album ‘Hot Sauce Committee, Part Two’ last year.

Yauch was a co-founder of the Beastie Boys alongside Mike ‘Mike D’ Diamond and Adam ‘Ad-Rock’ Horowitz in 1979, but didn’t break through until 1986’s ‘Licensed to Ill’. Further albums including ‘Paul’s Boutique’ and ‘Ill Communication’ followed, propelling the band to the very top of their field.

TMZ states ‘it’s not clear’ if the death is related to Yauch’s battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife Dechen Wangdu and daughter Tenzin Losel Yauch.

Update: A statement on the band’s website reads: ‘It is with great sadness that we confirm that musician, rapper, activist and director Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch, founding member of Beastie Boys and also of the Milarepa Foundation that produced the Tibetan Freedom Concert benefits, and film production and distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories, passed away in his native New York City this morning after a near-three-year battle with cancer. He was 47 years old.’